The Detroit Red Wings are set to take on the Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets roll into town and are set to square off with the Detroit Red Wings. The Jets are another “heavy” Western Conference team that poses as a tough matchup.

The Detroit Red Wings will look to rebound tonight as they play host to the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets play that rugged Western Conference style which gives many Eastern Conference teams a headache.

Head coach, Jeff Blashill ended Wednesday’s practice with a “bag” skate. The club performed so badly against the Carolina Hurricanes that the coaching staff decided a professional bag skate was necessary. It was a statement made by the coaching staff that lack of effort will not be tolerated. Not very often you see a professional team line up on the boards and skate to the other side of the ice and back on the coach’s whistle. Over and over again until “said” coach is satisfied. This normally takes place in travel hockey or junior with a bunch of teenageers.

We will see tonight if the hard practices have any impact on the level of effort tonight. Maybe it is possible the Detroit Red Wings overachieve and beat the Jets. Isn’t it time we for once become the overachieving team? Why can’t we have a young player who wasn’t expected to do much come in and open the leagues eyes? I guess we have kind of saw that on the back-end with Dennis Cholowski. The kid has been a stud. He has been skating as the Detroit Red Wings top defender this season. It would be nice if Michael Rasmussen started to pot goals on a regular basis.

Players to watch:

Dylan Larkin, of course, is the top forward on the Detroit Red Wings night in and night out. He needs to have a top-notch game every night to give the Wings a legit opportunity to win.

Anthony Mantha needs to play more than 8 minutes against this physical Winnipeg Jets club. He needs to skate anywhere other than the fourth line, where Jeff Blashill has had him buried of late. Mantha needs to engage physically early to get himself going. He needs to find some confidence before Jeff Blashill and company decide to scratch him. That seems idiotic, and it is, but Mantha in Jeff’s eyes is tracking that way.

Double-A needs to have a big night for the Wings. He may start on Frans Nielsen‘s wing and move to the center position on a different line as the game moves on. He needs to use his speed to pressure the Jets terrific defense.

Dennis Cholowski needs to continue to be Dennis Cholowski. The kid has been fantastic on the back-end all season long. He has proven to play beyond his years. He skates with confidence with his head up looking to make the safe play. He will log north of 20 minutes again. He needs to protect himself and move the puck quick on the Jets dump-ins. The Jets will have a tenacious forecheck and will try and batter the Detroit Red Wings physically.

Notes:

Green is set to return from his early season virus. He will play with Cholowski to start. Michael Rasmussen is expected to be a healthy scratch in favor of Frk tonight. Christoffer Ehn was sent to Grand Rapids to make room for de La Rose.